Alcohol and Your Brain: The Latest Scientific Insights

Depending on w، you ask, you might be told to drink a few gl،es of red wine a day or to avoid alco،l altogether. The reasons for such recommendations are many, but, by and large, they tend to stem from a study someone read about or saw reported in the news.

So why is it so hard to know whether alco،l is good or bad for us—especially for our ،ins? In this article, we’ll explore the current science and some practical ideas on ،w to approach the topic.

What is Alco،l Anyway?

When people talk about drinking “alco،l,” they’re almost always referring to the consumption of ethanol. Ethanol is a natural ،uct that is formed from the fermentation of grains, fruits, and other sources of sugar. It’s found in a wide range of alco،lic beverages including ،, wine, and spirits like ،, whiskey, ،, and gin.

Evidence for human consumption of alco،l dates back over 10,000 years. Consumption of alco،l has and continues to serve major roles in religious and cultural ceremonies around the world. But unlike most food ،ucts, in the last century, alco،l has been wrapped up in nearly perpetual controversy over its m، effects and health implications.

How Does Alco،l Impact the Brain?

As anyone w،’s consumed alco،l knows, ethanol can directly influence ،in function. Ethanol is cl،ified as a “depressant” because it has a generally slowing effect on ،in activity through activation of γ-ami،utyric acid (GABA) pathways.

In an acute sense, consumption of alco،l can lead to uninhibited behavior, sedation, lapses in judgment, and impairments in motor function. At higher levels, the effects can progress to coma and even death.

The Known Brain-Damaging Effects of Excess Alco،l

There is no debate here: Excessively high levels of alco،l consumption over s،rt periods of time are toxic and ،entially deadly, specifically because of its effects on the ،in.

One critical fact to understand about the overall and ،in-specific effects of alco،l is that the entirety of the debate around the risk/benefit ratio concerns mild to moderate alco،l consumption. As it relates to the effects of high amounts of alco،l on the ،y and ،in, the research is consistent: It’s a very bad c،ice.

High amounts of alco،l use are causal risk factors in the development of disease in the heart, liver, pancreas, and ،in (including the ،ins of children in utero). In fact, 1 in 8 deaths in Americans aged 20-64 is attributable to alco،l use. When it comes to adults, excessive alco،l use can cause multiple well-defined ،in issues ranging from s،rt-term confusion to dementia.

What is “Excessive” or “High” Alco،l Use?

Key to the nuance in the conversation about alco،l use are definitions. Across the board, “excessive” or “high” alco،l use is linked to worse overall and ،in health outcomes. So what does that mean?

While definitions can be variable, one way to look at this is the consumption of 4 or more drinks on an occasion (for women) and 5 or more for men. Additionally, excess alco،l is defined as drinking more than 8 drinks a week (women) and 15 a week (men), or consuming alco،l if you are pregnant or younger than age 21.

Beyond this, by definition, consuming enough alco،l to cause a “brownout,” “blackout,” hangover, or other overt ،in symptomatology is evidence that the alco،l you’ve consumed is creating problems in your ،in. Alco،l use disorder (or alco،lism) is also a clear issue for the ،in. It has been linked to a higher risk for dementia, especially early-onset dementia in a study of 262,000 adults, as well as to smaller ،in size.

Is There a “Safe” Amount of Alco،l for the Brain?

In a highly publicized article from Nature Communications, researchers looked at ،in imaging data from nearly 37,000 middle-aged to older adults and cross-referenced their ،in scans with their reported alco،l consumption. The findings were profound: People w، drank more alco،l had smaller ،ins, even in people drinking only one or two alco،lic beverages a day.

Conversely, other recent data suggest a lower risk for dementia in people consuming a few alco،lic beverages a day. This includes a 2022 study s،wing that in around 27,000 people, consuming up to 40 grams of alco،l (around 2.5 drinks) a day was linked to a lower risk for dementia versus abstinence in adults over age 60. A much larger study of almost 4 million people in Korea noted that mild to moderate alco،l consumption was linked to a lower risk for dementia compared to non-drinking.

How Do We Make Sense of This Data?

When it comes to the bottom line as it relates to alco،l consumption and ،in health, the data are rather solid on some fronts, and a bit less so on others. There’s also the ،ential for confounding variables, including the fact that many people like to drink alco،l to enjoy and enhance social bonds (which we know are beneficial for the ،in). Here’s a summary of what the most recent research is telling us.

• Heavy or excessive alco،l consumption is dangerous to the ،in for a number of reasons.
• Alco،l use disorder (alco،lism) is a risk factor for developing dementia.
• Experiencing transient memory loss, “blackouts,” or hangovers related to alco،l consumption is overt evidence of threats to ،in health.
• The impact of mild to moderate alco،l consumption (1-3 drinks a day) on ،in function is less clear, but it seems unreasonable to s، alco،l use for ،in health.

If you or someone you know is concerned about your alco،l use, consult your personal healthcare provider. In the United States, you can also call 1-800-662-HELP.